Time's up for 'feeding meters' in downtown Houston

Houston City Council approves tighter parking rules; drivers who stay beyond time allotted will get ticketed

BRADLEY OLSON and PEGGY O'HARE, Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Published 6:30 am, Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Watch out, Houston drivers, because "feeding the meter" is now officially illegal.

The city soon will begin more strictly enforcing the time limits posted at meters after a little-discussed update to a parking ordinance sailed through City Council Wednesday.

So, if the meter says two hours, you really can stay only two hours.

Drivers who stay beyond the posted limit will get a ticket, even if they have paid for additional time or have bought the "Downtown Hopper," a $6 pass that is meant to allow people to park in various areas without having to pay every time.

"We don't want people to abuse the meters," said City Councilman James Rodriguez, whose district includes much of downtown. "We want people to do their business and move on. Citizens need an equal opportunity to park downtown, and this is a way to better manage that curbspace."

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"It's already hell to find parking downtown to begin with," said leasing agent Tiffany Tyler, 25, who occasionally visits downtown. "I try to find street parking when I'm down here because I just don't want to pay $8 or $10 to park somewhere when I'm trying to go to a nice restaurant and have a good time."

Liliana Rambo, the city's director of parking management, said updating the law was necessary to keep spaces available in many well-worn spots, such as the courthouse complex or around sports stadiums. She added that it also will make it easier for customers of restaurants and retail outlets to park.

Those who need to stay longer can move their vehicles elsewhere, Rambo said.

He said he has worked with city officials on parking matters in the past, but was unaware of this policy change. He also said others he has spoken to about it "want relief" from parking enforcement.

"We don't have people dying to come downtown and shop," he said.

The law also bans anyone from putting money in someone else's meter.

1-month grace period

Tickets for exceeding the time limit, like those for when a meter has expired, are $25. Between 10 to 15 parking meter officers generally are working downtown on any given day. They will be able to know if a vehicle has exceeded the time limit by tracking license plates through hand-held devices, city officials said. Drivers can expect a one-month grace period when they will be given warnings for violations, officials said.

"We need to educate consumers about that and make it very clear why we've changed," she said, indicating that she hoped council would explore how to get the word out about the change. Lovell suggested using messages on the city's Web site and 3-1-1 customer service line.

Allan Johnson, 57, a frequent downtown visitor, said, "What are you supposed to do — move your car from one place to another?"